Well, if you guys read my last blog post, you understand how much work my first test for medical school was. From the 16 hours of studying each day for a week to being powered on caffeinated drinks, it was a whole different experience that taught me a lot.
However, for the end of the first block, multiply all that by 10. We had our foundations test, statistics test, anatomy test, and standardized patient test ALL WITHIN 4 DAYS!!! The foundations and statistics test were both on Monday, back to back. The anatomy test was on Tuesday and the standardized patient test was on Thursday. These 2 last weeks were perhaps the most physically and emotionally exhausting/stressful weeks of my life but thats ok because it was temporary and the work was worth it at the end.
Some might be like "oh, this is plenty of time" but it would be impossible to cram anatomy in between Monday and Tuesday because there were around a 100 muscles that we needed to learn (action, origin, insertion, innervation). We HAD to study for the 3 exams at the same time. For foundations, we had around 90 lectures that we had to review and study with many many bacterias and drugs that we needed to completely memorize. For statistics, we needed to learn how to interpret statistical tests and results. For the standardized patients test, we needed to memorize 3 checklists and all of the questions associated with it.
Here is a quick overview of how my daily life was during these last TWO crucial week:
Lectures 8 - 12
Lunch 12 - 1230
Studying 1230 - 8
Dinner 8 - 830
Studying 830 - 10
Lab 10 - 12
Continue Studying 12 - 3
And on the Saturday and Sunday before the exam, it was 8 - 3 studying days :)
(And yes, a lack of sleep was a huge issue so some days, I would take a risk and sleep during lectures that I already knew or thought would be easy)
However, I learned a lot of important things for you future medical school students.
1) This is the most important thing I learned while studying: have a STRONG SUPPORT GROUP. Your parents and friends outside of medical school will take you to a point but the close medical friends that you study with will keep you sane and give you an opportunity to socialize. K and B, you know who you are so thank you for helping me throughout these last 2 weeks.
2) Take undergraduate classes geared towards medical school that will help you throughout. I highly recommend that you take at least an anatomy class so you do not completely walk in blind like me. Microbiology, Immunology, and other classes like that might also be helpful. You can also start preparing the summer before by doing Anki cards (if you have nothing else to do) but I would recommend relaxing during that time.
3) You have to study everyday leading up to the test. For these past 4 weeks, everyday after class, I would review the lectures we went over briefly. Let me tell you right now, being brief is NOT enough. You need to at least thoroughly read the lecture 3 times (if you're like me) so make sure you keep studying every day so at the end, you're not too stressed.
4) You need to take breaks. Your mind is not meant to study for such long hours without other stimulations and breaks. Going outside for a walk can completely change your mindset. However, it is important to remember that burnout is NORMAL and it is NOT permanent. You will get through this and taking a 5 minute break will not kill you. You might also eat out a lot to save time so have some money saved up (or beg your parents for money like me :))
5) Enjoy the grind! During 3rd and 4th year when you're far away from your friends doing rotations or clinical skills, you're going to remember the grind and the memories you made with your friends so enjoy this time.
Once again, this is not to scare you but to inform you how medical school actually is because I feel like a lot of social media accounts really fluff the reality of their schedules. If everyone could be a doctor, they would because it's the best profession in the world (maybe a little biased). The grind will be worth it. When you first put on that white coat, you will feel like a whole different person.
If you would like me to talk about how I study for these tests (the specific tricks and tips that I have), let me know either on here or social media! I'm free this weekend so I might make some more posts! Contact me if you have any questions!
Comments